FunctionalismWhat function does deviance play in society? This is a question asked by sociologists subscribing to the school of structural functionalism. Structural functionalism has its roots in the very origins of sociological thought and the development of sociology as a discipline. Though precursors of structural functionalism have been in existence since the mid-1800's, structural functionalism was solidified by Émile Durkheim in the late nineteenth century . A structural functionalist approach emphasizes social solidarity, divided into organic and mechanical typologies, and stability in social structures. Structural functionalists ask "How does any given social phenomenon contribute to social stability?" This question cannot be answered without investigating deviance.
Listen to: The Function of Crime.Rather than starting with the individual as with biological and psychological theories, the functionalist analysis of deviance starts with society as a whole. Durkheim argued that crime is an inevitable and normal aspect of social life. Crime is present in all types of society, indeed the crime rate is higher in the more advanced, industrialized countries. It is inevitable because not every member of society can be equally committed to the a societies shared values and beliefs.
Durkheim imagines a ‘society of saints’ populated by perfect individuals. In such a society there would be no murder or robbery but there would still be deviance as the slightest slip would be regarded as a serious offence and would attract strong disapproval. Crime is not only inevitable – it is functional. Durkheim argued it only becomes dysfunctional when it its rate is unusually high or low. He argues that all social change begins with some form of deviance.
Durkheim also suggested that crime strengthens social cohesion. By publically condemning those who have broken rules we are aware of the norms and values and the limits of others tolerance and we unite against the 'anti-social' elements. Listen to: The Positives and Negatives of DevianceDurkheim wasn’t saying that crime is good, but that crime serves a sociological function. Specifically, he outlined four ways in which crime and deviance serve to better society. Most obviously, crime teaches us the difference between right and wrong, or defines what “normal” members of society ‘do’.
Secondly, Durkheim said that crime and deviance encourages group solidarity, that is, when we see others act against the norms we can be united in our dislike, frustration or anger, and seek validation from others and clarify acceptable behaviour and bad behaviour. Another term for this is boundary maintenance. Crime produces a reaction from society uniting its members in condemning of the wrong doer and reinforcing our commitment to the shared norms and values. i.e. – crackdown on downloading or sexual offences against children, Durkheim believed that this explains the concept of punishment by reaffirming society’s shared rules and reinforces social solidarity. Boundary maintenance is an important aspect of our response to crime and deviant behaviour. The Melbourne community was strongly united by the brutal murder of Jill Meagher by Adrian Bailey. Look at this article.
Another issue that galvanised the Australian community was the attack on the Martin Place Lindt store in Sydney. People were united, making them want change in regards to recent terror threats and occurrences. The event brought to light that there are instances of terror that threaten our society and is able to happen anywhere, any time without warning.
Durkheim’s third way in which crime and deviance serve a sociological function is that they help society to innovate or to bring about social change. This one’s a bit trickier, but it might help to look at things like the civil rights movement or women’s liberation. In these cases people were willing to be classed as deviant and were prepared to go against society at the time in order to ultimately bring about social change. If you explore the actions of the suffragettes in you can see how their deviance brought about significant change for women.
Durkheim believes that all social change can start with an act of deviance. Deviance can be seen as a way to change existing norms and values which will initially be seen as deviant , i.e. - the hippy movement back in the 60's was initially seen as deviant due to their openness to sex, love, and drug taking. In recent years, homosexuality has become much more accepted in society. In the past, homosexuality was usually kept a secret because being interested in the same-sex was illegal (deviant behaviour) and you would be punished. In the 1970's countries such as North America, Europe, most of Latin America and parts of Asia began to shift their attitudes on the issue of homosexuality. Today younger generations are far more accepting of same-sex relationships and in the majority of the world it is no longer seen as deviant behaviour.
The final argument put forward is that minor acts of crime and deviance can have the function of reducing tension. It can help to serve as a safety valve for people who are unhappy with their society or with the norms of their group. For example, if children are somewhat unhappy with the rules that their parents set, they might act out in small ways. This relieves some of their anger and makes it so they do not challenge the main rules and norms of the family. Actions that fall into this category could be civil disobedience.
So sociological functionalism is the idea that society is maintained by social structures which each serve their own functions, and crime is one of these social structures. To that end, crime and deviance serve a useful purpose in society. What do you think? Albert K. Cohen identified two possible functions of deviance: 1. A safety valve – deviance provides a relatively harmless expression of discontent. For example, prostitution performs a safety valve function without threatening the institution of the family. 2. Certain deviant acts also act as warning devices to indicate an aspect of society is malfunctioning. For example, truancy in schools may reveal unsuspected causes of discontent leading to changes. Listen to: Albert Cohen's Functions of DevianceTo sum it up: Functionalist perspective believe deviance serves three functions.1. Deviance clarifies rules.
2. Deviance unites a group. 3. Deviance promotes social change. |